Friday, 21 November 2008

Take the armband from Marmite and we LOSE our best defender

Gooners seem to be spilt on William Gallas. He seems to be like marmite, you either love him or hate him. In fact, that's not a bad nickname for him.

I'm in the love him camp and feel that the criticism he receives is way over the top. I also believe that he is being made a scapegoat for Arsenal struggling. There is an anti-Gallas bandwagon that has been forming since the Birmingham incident and it's gathering pace.

Marmite is our best defender, take the armband from him and we lose him. As simple as that. Do you think he would stay? I don't.

He is not a bad captain. People compare Marmite to recent skippers Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira and that is not fair. Adams and Vieira were fantastic Arsenal leaders but look at who they had around them. Adams had Keown, Bould, Dixon, Seaman etc, and Vieira had Henry, Gilberto, Bergkamp, Parlour, Campbell etc.

Who does Marmite have to help him on the pitch? That's right, no one.

Gooners call for Cesc Fabregas to be made captain, where are his leadership qualities right now? I'm not seeing any. He maybe a future captain but he's too immature at the moment. He would struggle with the burden and let's not forget he is struggling already.

Toure has been mentioned but he isn't a first team regular anymore and his form is so poor I can't see that changing in the immediate future.

Almunia wore the armband against Fenerbache and while he produced an outstanding goalkeeping display, I'll say he cant even command his box, let alone command the team.

Gael Clichy is another mooted for the role. Out of the four alternatives to Marmite I've mentioned, he is the best option for me. But he is too quiet for the time being. Experience will draw his character out but he isn't ready yet.

And then we come to Arsene Wenger. We all know how stubborn the man is. It was obvious in the summer that Arsenal needed strengthening but that didn't happen. What makes anyone think that he will admit to being wrong over Marmite being made captain? (Although I felt it was right)

This bandwagon wont be stopped and I've never known an Arsenal player be criticised as much as Marmite. Even that little muppet Ashley Cole seems to have got off lightly compared to Marmite.

I know he doesn't make things easy for himself with his outbursts but for the most part he is right. He only says what we Gooners talk about yet he is destroyed for it.

I ask you, if Fabregas or Toure were captain and either came out with half the stuff Marmite said would they be as criticised? I think not.

M8. WAT DA FUK ARE U TALKING ABOUT. IF YOU WATCH FOOTBALL AND YOU HAVE COMMON SENSE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT GALLAS IS THE PROBLEM. EVEN WITH SLL THE EXPERIENCE HE HAS, HE'S STILL TO BLAME FOR MANY OF THE GOALS WE'VE CONCEADED!!

*HE LIKES TO BLAME EVERYBODY ELSE BUT HIMSELF!!

*LACK REAL LEADERSHIP!!

LOVES TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL AFFAIRS ABOUT THE CLUB TO THE MEDIA.

*HE'S IMMATURE AND ARROGANT!!

SO WITH ALL THESE QUALITIES, WHAT MAKES HE SO GOOD? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!

WENGER NEEDS TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF HIM AND LEAVE HIM ON THE BENCH TO ROT.

TOURE IS STILL A GR8 CB AND A LEADER N NEEDS SOME PLAYING TIME TO GET BK TO HIS BEST!! GIVE THE CAPTAINCY TO HIM.

There are two problems with Gallas. First, as everybody has noticed, he's a poor leader, and this recent outburst is another embarrassing example of that. Enough said.

Second - which NOT everyone seems to have noticed - he's actually far from outstanding as a player. I certainly don't think he's our best defender. He's a decent player, and can play across the back four - but he's not truly outstanding in ANY position. Not fast or dynamic enough to be a great full back, and not commanding or decisive enough (in the air especially) to be a great centre back.

And I keep wondering if the decline of Toure has something to do with playing alongside Gallas.

i think that we should keep him as captain till jan at least. For me the key to defense is djourou. Toure is not as good as he once was, and silvestre... pretty shite. i would terminate swiss tony's loan and get him back. he and djourou could forge and awesome partnership. gallas and djourou for the mean time. captaincy: if rosicky was fit, i'd give it to him or clichy

I agree that Gallas does get a raw deal from most fans, but the fact that you're defending him in this case is really astonishing. Whether he is a good defender or not, being a captain he shouldn't have made comments. First, never admit to dressing room problems. The idiot did anyway, cause it hurt him too much to blamed for all our problems. But sometimes you get that. You're a captain dammit. Take it on your chin. Second, he doesn't reveal a name but whats worse he sends us and the entire media on guessing game as to who the six years younger player is. Would it be too much for him to think before talking?

You do defend him wrighty, correctly at times. But this is not one of them.

And oh Fab/Clichy would never have made these comments, trust me. If they are sick of it, they may leave the club, but without leaving our reputation to the mercy of the stupid media.

I usually agree with everything you say, but our best defender?? sorry. Silvestre and Djourou have been better. Its unacceptable for any member of the squad to come out in public and criticize the squad, revealing information meant to be hidden in the dressing room in the process. Unacceptable. I agree that everyone has been too harsh on Gallas, but his monstrous ego just doesn't let him shut up. By talking crap every week, he's only supplying the ammunition

Wrighty, i agree with you but the best defender??? i am not too sure about. He maybe the best defender when he was playing for Chelsea, but yea, you're right if Le Boss take the armband off him, he'll surely be gone by summer.

Im with you Wrighty I posted a defense for Gallas on Le Grove yesterday when it all kicked off. Here is why I believe we can not let Gallas go.

He has come out and told the truth, all the fans complain we dont hear whats going on Wenger lies to us e.c.t Gallas tells us whats going on and he is in the wrong.

I thought the article was good and just what some of the players need to hear.

Gallas scores crucial goals in big games when we need them, in my book that quality is always the sign of a good player.

He has been critisized for a few of the goals conceeded this year however my opinion is the midfield has let us down this year Nasri and Walcott do not add a lot defensively and Denilson is not as effective as Flamini was at mopping up behind Cesc.

There seems to be a group who just dont appriciate some of our good players and are blinkered by others Kolo has been terrible this year in my opinion and Cesc looks way off the pace, bendtner has been dreadful up front, But Adebayor gets stick any time he misses or does not score and Song played a blinder against West Ham but he still gets slagged off.

I think many fans just do not like him because of the Chelsea link. I prefer to look at the positives of his arrival we got rid of cashley and he wanted to join us as someone elequontley put it yesterday I would rather have a willy than a C**T.

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